# T. Rajendar

Vijay Thesingu Rajendar, also known as T. R., is an Indian actor, film director, film producer, musician, cinematographer, film distributor and politician who works primarily in the Tamil film industry. He lives in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Rajendar is known for being able to speak in rhyming sentences spontaneously and incessant rapping.

## Family

T. Rajendar is married to former actress Usha Rajendar. They have two sons, Silambarasan and Kuralarasan, and one daughter, Ilakiya. His wife has served as the producer for some of his films, such as Kadhal Azhivathillai (2002), starring Silambarasan.

## Film career

Rajendar started off in the Tamil film industry making successful films which included him as an actor, playback singer, dancer and scriptwriter. He gained popularity through his one-of-a-kind style of acting. He normally serves as, but not limited to director, actor, songwriter, art director, production manager and playback singer. During the 1980s, all his movies were blockbusters, running for years and the songs were also well appreciated. He is known for introducing new faces in his movies, and many of the actresses who debuted in his movies have been successful in South Cinema, including Amala, Nalini, Jyothi, Jeevitha and Mumtaj.
After some years, Rajendar's films started to decline in popularity because his films became too predictable, tending to follow the same storyline and oratory style of repetitious dialogues with little if any meaning. For example, his films always contain a sentimental scene involving the hero's younger sister in distress, coupled with the same rhyming rhetoric and gestures.
Rajendar recently started his own web TV channel called 'Kural TV' (Voice TV). Originally he wanted to start a 24-hour TV channel but could not, due to problems arising while securing a license. The channel, apart from broadcasting his movies and speeches, tends to echo sentiments towards the plight of Tamils (especially women) in Sri Lanka. He previously owned a magazine called Usha.
Rajendar had started talking with "common" people through Skype and discussing latest politics in the recent years. Rajendar also distributes films under his home banner "Simbu cine arts". His latest film distribution, as of mid-2011 is his son Silambarasan's film Vaanam, which will be distributed in the Chennai and Madurai region.
Since early 2008, Rajendar has been slowly working on the production of a film titled Oru Thalai Kadhal, a tale based on a village singer, in which he stars in the lead role. In 2011, he released a first look poster for the film and revealed that three heroines from Mumbai would star alongside him. He provided an update in 2014, that the film was still under production and that it was sixty-five percent complete. He has also revealed that he was working on a script to launch his second son, Kuralarasan, as a lead actor.

## Political career

Rajendar founded the Thayaga Marumalarchi Kazhagam party in 1991 after he had been expelled from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. In 1996, after Vaiko's departure from the DMK and the formation of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Rajendar's TMK merged with the DMK. Rajendar left the DMK again in 2004, to form the All India Latchiya Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. Before expulsion, he was the propaganda secretary of DMK and was elected from Park Town constituency in the 1996 Assembly polls. He further supported the AIADMK in the 2006 Assembly elections. After those 2006 elections, the DMK came back to power and he was made vice-chairman of the Small Savings Scheme. He subsequently quit the post.

## Filmography
### As film director, producer, writer, actor, cinematographer, and music director

| Year | Title | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Credited as | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Cinematographer | Composer / Lyricist | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 1980 | Oru Thalai Ragam | | | | | | Songs | Hindi-singing student | Cameo appearance; uncredited as director | |
| 1980 | Vasantha Azhaippugal | | | | | | | | Cameo appearance | |
| 1981 | Rail Payanangalil | | | | | | | Train passenger | Cameo appearance in song "Vasantham Paadi Vara" | |
| 1982 | Nenjil Oru Raagam | | | | | | | Geetha's brother | | |
| 1982 | Raagam Thedum Pallavi | | | | | | | Actor, Foreign director (voice) | Cameo appearance | |
| 1983 | Uyirullavarai Usha | | | | | | | | | |
| 1983 | Thangaikkor Geetham | | | | | | | Soolakaruppan | Nominated, Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil | |
| 1984 | Uravai Kaatha Kili | | | | | | | | | |
| 1985 | Unakkaga Oru Roja | | | Screenplay | | | | — | | |
| 1986 | Mythili Ennai Kaathali | | | | | | | Manickam | | |
| 1987 | Oru Thayin Sabhatham | | | Screenplay | | | | Rajkumar | | |
| 1987 | Pookkal Vidum Thudhu | | | Screenplay | | | | — | | |
| 1988 | En Thangai Kalyani | | | | | | | Velu | | |
| 1989 | Samsara Sangeetham | | | | | | | | | |
| 1991 | Shanti Enathu Shanti | | | | | | | | | |
| 1992 | Enga Veetu Velan | | | | | | | — | | |
| 1993 | Sabash Babu | | | Screenplay | | | | Veluchamy | | |
| 1993 | Pettredutha Pillai | | | | | | | — | | |
| 1994 | Oru Vasantha Geetham | | | | | | | | | |
| 1995 | Thai Thangai Paasam | | | | | | | | | |
| 1999 | Monisha En Monalisa | | | | | | | Kaadhaldasan | | |
| 2001 | Sonnal Thaan Kathala | | | | | | | T. R. | | |
| 2002 | Kadhal Virus | | | | | | | Himself | Guest appearance | |
| 2002 | Kadhal Azhivathillai | | | | | | | Vakkeel Dada | | |
| 2006 | Vallavan | | | | | | | Himself | Guest appearance in song "Yammadi Aathadi" | |
| 2007 | Veerasamy | | | | | | | Veerasamy | | |
| 2013 | Arya Surya | | | | | | | Himself | Guest appearance in song "Thagadu Thagadu" | |
| 2016 | Idhu Namma Aalu | | | | | | | — | | |
| 2017 | Kavan | | | | | | | Mayilvaganan | | |
| 2017 | Vizhithiru | | | | | | | Himself | Guest appearance in song "Papparappa" | |
| 2016 | Idhu Namma Aalu | | | | | | | — | | |

### As composer and lyricist

This list is of films that T. Rajender only worked as a music director and lyricist.
| Year | Title |
| 1981 | Kilinjalgal |
| 1982 | Sattam Sirikkiradhu |
| 1985 | Engal Kural |
| 1986 | Pookkalai Parikkatheergal |
| 1987 | Muthukkal Moondru |
| 1987 | Cooliekkaran |
| 1987 | Poo Poova Poothirukku |
| 1987 | Ivargal Varungala Thoongal |
| 1987 | Aayusu Nooru |
| 1989 | Enga Veettu Deivam |
| 1996 | En Aasai Thangachi |
| 1996 | Pombala Siricha Pochu |
| 2002 | Sri Bannari Amman |

### As playback singer

| Year | Song | Film | Composer | Notes |
| 1983 | "Thatti Paarthen" | Thangaikkor Geetham | T. Rajendar | |
| 1984 | "Adangoppan Mavane" | Uravai Kaatha Kili | T. Rajendar | |
| 1986 | "En Aasai Mythiliye" "Ada Ponnana" | Mythili Ennai Kaathali | T. Rajendar | |
| 1994 | "Pogaathe Pogaathe" | Oru Vasantha Geetham | T. Rajender | |
| 1999 | "Nambaathe" | Monisha En Monalisa | T. Rajender | |
| 2001 | "Kaadhalikka Theriyuma" | Sonnal Thaan Kaadhala | T. Rajendar | |
| 2002 | "Vetrinadai", "Roopamani", Nambinorai | Sri Bannari Amman | T. Rajender | |
| 2006 | "Ammadi Athadi" | Vallavan | Yuvan Shankar Raja | |
| 2007 | "Marakka Mudiyala" "Sollalaiye Kadhal" "Varaanpaaru" "Vechuriken" | Veerasamy | T. Rajendar | |
| 2007 | "Gun Ganapathi" | Oram Po | G. V. Prakash Kumar | |
| 2008 | "Aathadi" | Sandai | Dhina | |
| 2009 | "Aandipatti Arasampatti" | Rajadhi Raja | Karunas | |
| 2011 | "Dooda" | Doo | Abhishek-Lawrence | |
| 2011 | "Chennai Gaana" | Puli Vesham | Srikanth Deva | |
| 2011 | "Kalasala Kalasala" | Osthe | S. Thaman | |
| 2012 | "Yamma Yamma" | Thiruthani | Perarasu | |
| 2013 | "En Aalu" | Summa Nachunu Irukku | Achu Rajamani | |
| 2013 | "Thagadu Thagadu" | Arya Surya | Srikanth Deva | |
| 2014 | "Tharumaru" | Vaalu | S. Thaman | |
| 2014 | "Chai Chai" | Raj Bahadur | Jeevith Krupa | Kannada film |
| 2015 | "Papparappa" | Vizhithiru | Sathyan Mahalingam | |
| 2015 | "Summa Polama" | Chikkiku Chikkikkichu | Vijay Benjamin | |
| 2016 | "Maaman Waiting" | Idhu Namma Aalu | Kuralarasan | |
| 2016 | "Raangu" | Theri | G. V. Prakash Kumar | |
| 2016 | "Damakutalaan" | Koditta Idangalai Nirappuga | C. Sathya | |
| 2017 | "Happy New Year" | Kavan | Hiphop Tamizha | |
| 2018 | "Monkistha Kinkistha" | Koothan | Balz_G | |
| 2022 | "Thatlam Thatlam" | Astakarmma | L .V. Muthu Ganesh | |
| 2023 | "Adhirudha" | Mark Antony | G. V. Prakash Kumar | |
| 2023 | "Goli Soda" | Paatti Sollai Thattathe | Vijay Shankar | |
| 2024 | "Jiloma" | The Boys | Arun Gautham | |
| 2025 | "Kaalaiyile Koovudhu" | Vettu | Dharma Teja | |
| 2025 | "Chikitu Vibe" | Coolie | Anirudh Ravichander | |

### As lyricist

This list is of films that T. Rajender only worked as a lyricist (and singer) and not as a composer.
| Year | Song | Film | Composer | Notes |
| 2021 | "Omkara" | Maaligai | Mahesh Mahadev | |
| 2022 | "Thatlam Thatlam" | Astakarmma | L .V. Muthu Ganesh | |

### As distributor

* Vaanam (2011)
* Vaalu (2015)
* Kadamaiyai Sei (2022)

### Television

* Super Kudumbam - Sun TV
* Arattai Arangam - Sun TV
* Nyayam Endrum Solven - Vijay TV